Table 1.

NICE Risk of severe illness or death from sepsis

Category	High risk criteria	Moderate to high risk criteria	Low risk criteria
History	Objective evidence of new altered mental state	History from patient, friend or relative of new onset of altered behaviour or mental state History of acute deterioration of functional ability Impaired immune system (illness or drugs including oral steroids) Trauma, surgery or invasive procedures in the last 6 weeks	Normal behaviour
Respiratory	Raised respiratory rate: 25 breaths per minute or more New need for oxygen (more than 40% FiO2) to maintain saturation more than 92% (or more than 88% in known chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)	Raised respiratory rate: 21–24 breaths per minute	No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met
Blood pressure	Systolic blood pressure 90 mmHg or less or systolic blood pressure more than 40 mmHg below normal	Systolic blood pressure 91–100 mmHg	No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met
Circulation and hydration	Raised heart rate: more than 130 beats per minute Not passed urine in previous 18 h. For catheterised patients, passed less than 0.5 ml/kg of urine per hour	Raised heart rate: 91–130 beats per minute (for pregnant women 100–130 beats per minute) or new onset arrhythmia Not passed urine in the past 12–18 h For catheterised patients, passed 0.5–1 ml/kg of urine per hour	No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met
Temperature		Tympanic temperature less than 36 °C
Skin	Mottled or ashen appearance Cyanosis of skin, lips or tongue Non-blanching rash of skin	Signs of potential infection, including redness, swelling or discharge at surgical site or breakdown of wound	No non-blanching rash